4 Pakistani army officers killed in shootout with militants

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan's military says an army major and three other officers have been killed in a shootout with militants in the country's tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

In a statement, the military said one militant blew himself up and another was shot and killed in the early Wednesday raid on a home in the Dir tribal region. It said the slain officers included an intelligence officer.

The military said one militant was also captured in the raid.

The statement provided no additional details and only said the raid foiled a possible major militant attack.

The latest troop casualties came weeks after the army launched an operation against militants in another Khyber tribal region in the northwest to prevent insurgents from carrying out cross-border attacks in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan.